


Color theory

by toddykun



Series: Femslash February 2019 [2]
Category: Hey Arnold!
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Arnold is a good ass friend btw, Break Up, Courtship, F/F, Femslash February, Femslash February 2019, Fluff, Growing Up, Mutual Pining, Oblivious Jealous Lila Sawyer, Pining, Romantic Fluff, Romantic Gestures, Romantic Helga Pataki
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-09
Updated: 2019-02-09
Packaged: 2019-10-24 17:37:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17708696
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/toddykun/pseuds/toddykun
Summary: Pink's complementary color was green.Lila knew this, she only wasn't conscious about it. The good thing, Helga was aware.femslash february 2019:2. pink





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> i think im going to try to catch up to femslashfeb but two at a day maybe. we will see.
> 
> for the time being, hope u like it!!!!!

Pink had always been her color.

It suited her like no one else, and maybe others could say that it demeaned the power she tried to still over herself and others, but they were wrong. Lila was sure. If anything, that vibrant and strong color called for attention and outshined everything else, as she said before, it suited Helga.

Helga carried pink like a warrior carried shield and sword.

It protected her, yes. It was useful to make a statement and to attack by just the visual if you knew how to do it. Helga did, no matter if she was aware of it or not.

It had been like that since they were kids. Helga was the only person who could do things that most people consider opposites and not a care a damn of what the world could say. Hence, liking ‘girls’ and ‘boys’ stuff at the same time and with the same intensity. Being proud of it, even. Helga was harsh, and tough, and called for submission, and most of it wasn’t a mask, even when she used it to mask the kindness she held inside. She was also feminine, and vulnerable, and she had learned to show that as much as her fist. Little by little, though. It took her years and good friends.

Helga had ever so gone a long way from her sixth-grade self. All the class did.

She wasn’t the only one that thought so.

Lila was observant, more than people realized.

So, it wasn’t surprising for her when one day, after all the class came back from that travel to San Lorenzo, Arnold’s eyes flicked to Helga in the same way that hers flicked to him. His blue contrasted her pink and they made for a beautiful juxtaposition of minds and souls that only was as bright as their own happiness.

Lila knew right then and there that stepping aside had been a good thing to do, especially after Helga admitted her feelings for him to her.

It had been a good decision at the time. She liked Helga, she really did want to be her friend and if Helga still thought that she was between her and Arnold (even if she was not) then the only way to be her friend was to stop being there.

It worked at the time.

But at this moment they were sixteen, and with that came every insecurity full-blown adolescents could have.

Lila was insecure. She didn’t know how she felt about this.

She didn’t know if seeing Helga with Arnold’s blue sweater at school was exactly what she wanted now.

They held hands while walking to their seats, something that they never did on school grounds, always outside, out of privy eyes.

Everyone knew they were together for like five years, it shouldn’t have been a surprise to see them holding hands but you couldn’t fault a class full of sophomores for going wild at the prospect of the most ‘unexpected’ couple doing actual couple things for the first time in front of the whole class. Especially with Helga’s violent attitude at PDA of whatever nature (even if she was actually pretty romantic and highly expressive).

Everyone started to catcall, whistle, comment, and shout. Helga imposed silence or violence in case someone didn’t understand her words, but they all knew she wasn’t (all that) serious about it. Arnold just smiled, calm and collected, maybe just a little bit nervous with only his blue jacket and long-plaid red shirt (that fitted now) on. Every other student was teasing, not-at-all-subtle, inappropriate, or highly suggestive but Lila kept quiet.

Her heart picked up a pace she was not accustomed to, her brain not seeming to comprehend why Helga’s pink bracelets and bow didn’t combine with that blue sweater even when it did. It wasn’t like she didn’t look good in it because, objectively, she did. It wasn’t the sudden realization that they were together either because she had known that even before it was public knowledge.

Lila just couldn’t figure it out.

At break, Helga asked why she looked stupid like that. Phoebe rolled her eyes, and as Helga official translator, repeated the words with the real meaning.

“You have been looking a little sad all day, Lila. Are you okay?”

Lila was fast to put up a smile. Helga was still using the offending sweater. “Yes, of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”

Phoebe and Helga looked at each other for a second in which they seemed to hold a whole conversation. Lila waited patiently.

Phoebe nodded to something then she turned to her. “See you later, Lila, yeah?”

“Oh, yeah, Phoebe. It was a pleasure.”

Phoebe waved goodbye and left, Helga sat down at her side instead. “What’s up with you?”

“With me?” Lila sounded confused but kept on smiling. She just couldn’t stop looking at that blue.

“Yeah, don’t pretend, Miss Perfect. You know what I mean. You have been making this weird face all day.”

Helga put out an exaggerated sad face and Lila had to put a hand to her mouth to hold down a laugh. A real giggle got out anyways, that she felt from the heart. It stayed in a smile and she looked at Helga. She was now smirking, a part of her brow raising up questioningly. In Lila’s mind, privately, she thought she looked cute like that.

It was just that blue sweater.

“Oh, so now, you’re smiling for real. C’mon, tell me, what is it?”

Helga looking cute actually made her heart pick up a pace she was used to and brought a smile from the bottom of her heart, so she didn’t know why this wasn’t the case. She didn’t know why her face didn’t seem to want to smile anymore as it should.

It was just that Helga’s color wasn’t blue?

But that was ridiculous, that couldn’t be.

“It’s nothing, really, Helga. Thanks for your worry, ever so much. But I’m fine.”

“Yeah, right. And looking at this stupid sweater while saying that and stopping smiling has nothing to do with it?”

Lila blushed gracefully, being found out in her lies not a normal occurrence anymore.

She had said before that Helga had learned to be kind without a mask. But Lila had learned things too, a perfect mask didn't mean happiness for everybody and love and not trouble in the end. It meant impossible standards and pain and lies. But old habits die hard.

“I… That’s not- Helga, it’s not what you think.”

“And what I’m thinking? Because I didn’t say anything about that.”

 _Something about Arnold, probably, because that’s the only you seem to think about_ , Lila thought incriminatingly inside her mind.

Helga now looked like her patient was wearing thin. Lila’s heart started to jump, the blue on that sweater started to make her even more nervous that she was already feeling.

Why that blue sweater looked so bad? Why?

“Lila, I’m not going or quitting this sweater if you don’t tell me. If you admit it, I do what you tell me,”

This scenery looked slightly familiar, Lila thought, remembering a school play, an admission and she stepping out of Helga’s way. Lila tightened up her grip on her green dress.

“It’s just… that sweater. It doesn’t combine.” She finally admitted, not that much

“So, it’s not my thing?”

Lila knew that was completely and so absolutely stupid but she continued. “Yes, I’m afraid so. It doesn’t combine with you.”

“It doesn’t combine because is blue or because…?”

“Because…?” She didn’t know where this was going.

“Because it’s Arnold’s?”

“No! It’s not!” She argued fast, trying it more to convince herself than Helga, maybe a little too fast, maybe a little too dishonest. Helga furrowed her brow. Lila was fast to make up a good excuse. “I-it’s just the color, really. You know how I am, perfect and all. Such a nice sweater and you look ever so nice in it, it’s just the color, but I bet Arnold likes it. You know how boys are with girlfriends using their things and- what-what are you doing?”

Helga was removing the sweater. Lila felt alarmed. “Helga! What are you doing? You don’t have to take it off just because I say that. Please, put it on. I have learned my lesson about that.”

“Oh, calm down, princess. It’s okay.” Helga discarded the sweater like it was nothing, Lila looked around nervously. “It was getting hot in this thing anyways. I don’t know how Arnold can wear it all day.”

Lila let out a giggle, her anxiety going out with it. “Yeah, it’s quite amusing. Arnold sure knows how to put up with it. He must like it a lot.” Lila looked at the sweater again, her face serious and quite upset. “That’s why you shouldn’t stop wearing it just because I say so. I shouldn’t have to say it. I’m sorry, ever so much. I don’t want you to stop being you just because-.”

“Calm down, princess, I’m not taking it off because you say so. We’re friends, right? None of that sixth grader's nonsense.” There was something in her words Lila couldn’t decipher, it was that same thing what makes her more nervous. What did she mean she wasn’t taking it off because of her?

“But I didn’t-,” she tried to change her mind again but Helga interrupted her. Sweater in her hands and only with a white tank top.

“It’s okay because we’re friends, right?”

It was okay because they were friends. Like she had wanted from the start.

Helga was so different from the rest of the girls, something she wanted but didn’t dare to say so. And she was smiling at her right now like she never thought she would do. She should say yes, right?

They were friends, she thought again. With glee and despair inside her heart. She got her wish, so bittersweet in the end.

“Yeah, of course, Helga. We’re friends.”

.

“You got the answer you wanted?” Arnold asked, catching his sweater before it hit him in the face and tossing Helga her pink flannel, a friendly smile in his face. They walked towards the exit of the school, where Gerald and Phoebe waited for them like every day after school.

“Yeah.” Helga didn’t seem so happy, but she didn’t seem disappointed either while she put on her pink flannel again. She looked at him, nervous while he put the sweater on again. “Look, Arnold, I-.”

Arnold stopped her with a hand to her shoulder, his face screamed understanding and empathy. “I know, Helga. Really, it’s okay.”

Helga groaned. It was ridiculous how patient Arnold had become with the years, even more than before. It was admirable and annoying in equal parts. It taught her how to act normal and true in front of him, though.

“God, I hate you. How can you be so understanding? You’re so stupid, you football head. Hate me a little at least.” She was joking, of course, but damn, could be this boy infuriating.

Arnold laughed. “No, you don’t hate me. At least that we want to talk about the shrine.”

“Don’t. You. Dare.” Helga replied, sounding more menacing that she actually wanted to. The good thing was that Arnold really knew her now, so he only laughed again and put his hands up, in a signal of agreement. She just sighed. “But, no, I guess I don’t hate you.”

She accepted defeat with a tired shrug, so tired of fighting invisible threats that she was unable to win against.

“But you _are_ really annoying.” Arnold laughed again. Helga looked down, feeling something like shyness crippling up at her heart, but it wasn’t quite that.

“Hey, I...” She started but didn’t finish.

Arnold did it for her, with that cute smile on his face that Helga liked so much. “Love you too.”

Helga nodded, still not looking at his face. “Just not like that. Not anymore.”

It was incredible how true that was, they never saw it coming. Less Helga than Arnold. It was liberating in a way she didn’t know it could be.

“I know.” Arnold didn’t stop smiling but he did sound softer, smaller. Helga didn’t cross her arms like her defensive mind demanded her to do, feeling exposed and vulnerable but not allowing that to make her take a step back. Her therapist was going to be so proud. “I understand.”

Helga scoffed at that answer and looked at him, she resolved to do something that she might have not to do when she was just a stupid emotionally stunted kid, she hoped her therapist was going to be proud of this too.

She leaned into him and Arnold understood immediately, his arms passing around her middle and hugging her lovingly. They hadn’t been the best at communication before, but this was okay. This they could understand. Arnold stopped hugging her, but his arm still around her waist. They were getting close to the exit.

“I’m gonna miss you.”

“I’m still here, Football Head.” She said teasingly, trying to ease the ambient. She continued, her voice wavering. “We’re still friends.”

She had wanted Arnold so much, so, so much when she was a kid. She understood now why she had wanted him so much, it was as deep as she thought, but not as romantic as it could have been. What she wanted from him was love, but not the one she thought it was. She had wanted recognition, compassion, optimism, things she couldn’t have and that he had in abundance. Arnold had all of those, and he gave them to her. It had been freeing, but not in the way she thought it would be.

She found herself in Arnold, that she couldn’t deny. But not _with_ him, not anymore.

She didn’t know if that made sense, did it make sense for Arnold? Maybe.

Arnold chuckled. “I know, not the same. But it’s gonna be okay, I promise. We’re friends, we have always been. And if it’s not, I will tell you.”

Arnold gripped her a little tighter. Maybe she should have thought that their situation would reverse in an unexpected way. Who knew, huh?

.

The news that Helga and Arnold broke up spread like fire over gasoline.

It stunned everyone, especially after the show from yesterday with Arnold’s sweater. Nor Gerald nor Phoebe seemed as surprised but Lila could not process why that was, her brain trying to process the situation itself.

They entered the classroom as together as they had been since they started to date in sixth grade, the aura around them was the same, her vibrant, dominant pink coupled with that soft, leading blue but, at the same time, there was a fine but secured line between them that had not been there before.

No, it had been, it was just a little more considerable now.

Lila’s brain started to turn the gears on. If it was her fault? Because of the sweater?

Lila felt terrible, upset at herself for breaking up a pair like that.

She didn’t see Helga watching her intently from her seat.

.

 It had been weeks since the sweater incident, and since Helga and Arnold broke up.

She had apologized profusely that same day. To both, Helga and Arnold.

They assured her that it wasn’t her fault, at all. They just felt out, it happened, it wasn’t a big deal. They actually felt pretty calm for two people that break up a relationship of almost five years. They kept hanging out, they kept being in the same baseball team, but Lila still felt like it was her fault.

_It’s okay, Lila, really. I don’t understand why you’re apologizing?_

_Stop apologizing, it has absolutely nothing to do with-! Stop, Lila!_

She stopped apologizing but another weird event came out with the other two: not only Arnold and Helga still hang out like it was nothing after breaking up, but Helga also constantly ‘steal’ her from her own friends to pass time with her instead, only at school’s breaks, though. Never outside the school, but still pretty constantly to feel like they were improving their friendship. She had learned more things about Helga in those weeks than in their entire time knowing each other.

Lila felt in heaven, a little tortuous, full of pining but extremely jovial heaven.

She learned things from Helga that she never thought she would learn. Like she loved jazz and that she wrote poems (even if she never gets to read them, she would bet they were excellent). Like her actual wardrobe was more extended that she needed, but she loved every outfit anyways. Like her family wasn’t all that…great.

Olga passed, though. She was glad about that little part. She liked Olga, after all.

However, that wasn’t the only weird event that occurred. Recently, she had been receiving a letter with a little poem every day. It didn’t have a signature but Lila swooned with every word anyways.

Poems were romantic, so romantic. And who wrote them was a mystery! That was even more so!

There were two particulars things about those poems, there was always a piece of pink clothing, thread or fabric attached to the paper, and the poems were always about the color green, her favorite color (even if, sometimes, it seemed like it was pink).

The poems were lovely and short, and they displayed such adoration and love that if hadn’t been already in love with someone else, she would have fallen in love with this new prospector. She felt elated, of course, but she didn’t want to hurt whoever heart was pouring from those words.

Her enamored mind that had always thought that pink belonged to Helga, and now with the new information about her favorites hobbies, instantly constructed a fantasy where Helga was the one writing the poems.

But that couldn’t be, of course.

 _Even if that would be perfect_ , she thought, while putting one of the poems carefully in a beautifully decorated box with the others.

_Oh, ever so perfect._

.

“Take a walk, girls, I have to talk with Sawyer over here.”

The voice was demanding and dominant and her friends started to shiver like leaves in winter. Lila shivered for a reason completely different and she felt just a little ashamed for it today.

It had been months since all those weird events. Her poem box was almost full, her friendship with Helga grew and Arnold and Helga’s group included her in more things that she was aware that people could do. But her friends still felt uneasy about Helga and she still liked her ever so much.

She looked up and pink clouded her vision in an instant, pink flannel over a white tank top, sleeves rolled, her hair in a ponytail with a cute pink bow she had always worn, and cute pink shorts. That pink demanded attention as always, and Lila was so willing to give it to her.

Her friends looked at Lila, hesitant expressions on their faces. Lila smiled at them, trying to calm them down. That most of the class knew how Helga was didn’t mean that there weren’t people that were still afraid of her. “It’s okay, girls. I swear I’m gonna eat lunch with you tomorrow. I promise you, ever so much.”

Her friends said to call them if she needed help. Lila just nodded, knowing she wouldn’t need it. Maybe. She was feeling rather insecure if she was being honest, this didn’t feel like how Helga normally asked her to eat together.

Usually, Arnold, Phoebe or the whole group went with her. Now, Helga was alone, she didn’t even have her lunch. It felt different.

When Helga sat down, Lila was almost sure that this time it was about Arnold’s sweater. It had to be. So, she apologized immediately.

“Oh, Helga, I’m ever so sorry. If I had known I-.”

“If you keep apologizing for that, I’m gonna throw up. Shut up and hear me.” Lila complied instantly, hands nervously on her skirt. Helga took a deep breath, like who looked for strength. “Did you read the poem?”

“The poem?” She parroted back, confused. Then, enlightenment came to her. She had told Helga about the oh so lovely poems since she liked poems too. And was as romantic as she was. “Oh, yes! Oh, Helga, today’s one was the most beautiful of them all! I wish I could show them to you, but that would be disrespectful to the person, honestly. Since they did them for me. Oh, I wish I knew who they are so I could thank them. It would be ever so sweet! I should ask what thing I could do to show my appreciation back and-.”

“I wanna go to the movies.”

“Excuse me, Helga, you want to what? You want to go to the movies?” Ok, now, she was truly confused. Weren’t they talking about the poems just a second ago?

“Yes, Lila, to the movies.”

“Oh, that’s…great. I guess. I’m happy for you?” She tried not to look as baffled by the declaration as she was since Helga looked so serious about it.

Helga grunted, it seemed that wasn’t the correct answer. She looked at something behind Lila, something that calmed her down enough to quit the exasperated expression she had and look at her with renewed resolve. Lila tried to turn around to see who it was, but Helga took her by her hands and suddenly she couldn’t breathe, she couldn’t move. She looked at Helga.

“I mean, Lila, I- I was the one that had been sending you poems. Do you wanna go to the movies with me?” She gripped her hands tighter, so lightly she almost felt like she imagined it. But Lila was so aware of Helga, so ecstatic suddenly by those simple words, that was impossible for her not to notice.

“Oh!” Lila gasped, elated. Her heart made a leap, and her face reddened instantly.

 _The poems. Helga wrote all those poems. For me? Does she like me-like me_? _Did she mean like a date? Calm down, Lila, you had to confirm._

“You mean, like…?”

Helga took another grounding breath. “I mean like a date. Like I like you-like you? Would you? C’mon, Lila, it was really obvious the poems were from me and you said you wanted to show your appreciation back or whatever. I mean, if you don’t-.”

“Yes!” Lila shouted before she couldn’t help herself, too happy, too enthusiastic about everything, But she put her hands at her mouth just as fast as she had exploded, her lady-like manners instantly reprimanding her for the little scandal. She looked around and yes, there were people looking at them and weirded out by Lila’s sudden outburst. Helga didn’t have any of it.

“This isn’t a show, idiots! At least that you want me to show you all my fists! ”

Everyone turned around immediately. But Lila was almost sure that she heard two giggles coming from behind her that sounded suspiciously close to Arnold and Phoebe’s ones.

Lila flustered even more but with fewer eyes observing them, Lila dared to take Helga’s hands again.

“Helga, yes, of course, I would love to go to the movies with you. Ever so much! Oh, Helga, those poems were wonderful, and so perfect, and-.”

“Yes, yes, I know, you have already told me. I just can’t believe you didn’t notice it earlier…” Lila just smiled, her heart jumping, this time from joy.

Helga’s pink blush was so beautiful.

After all, pink had always been her color.


	2. Extra

One day, Lila appeared to class with cute pinky little bows tying her pigtails and taking Helga from the arm. It felt almost like it had felt years ago. Exhilarating and confusing with the feelings that stirred from her. But now was better, now she had a better and happiest reason to do so.

Helga went that day with a sweater of soft green. Nobody said anything but Lila kept on smiling like it was the best thing in the world.

It looked extremely well on Helga.

Green looked well on her.

After all, green had always been Lila’s color.

**Author's Note:**

> Helga and Lila are both romantic messes, I'm telling ya.
> 
> Hope u liked it!!!!!!!!
> 
> come bother me if u want to:  
> [my writing and art tumblr](http://toddy-does.tumblr.com/)  
> [my personal tumblr](http://toddy-kun.tumblr.com/)  
> [my twitter](https://twitter.com/toddywithcereal)


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